Spherical Harmonics and Gravity Intensity Modeling Related to a Special Class of Triaxial Ellipsoids

Gerassimos Manoussakis () and Panayiotis Vafeas
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Gerassimos Manoussakis: Division of Geometry and Algebra, Department of Mathematics, School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Zografos, Greece
Panayiotis Vafeas: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece

Mathematics, 2025, vol. 13, issue 13, 1-29

Abstract: The G-modified Helmholtz equation is a partial differential equation that allows gravity intensity g to be expressed as a series of spherical harmonics, with the radial distance r raised to irrational powers. In this study, we consider a non-rotating triaxial ellipsoid parameterized by the geodetic latitude φ and geodetic longitude λ , and eccentricities e e , e x , e y . On its surface, the value of gravity potential has a constant value, defining a level triaxial ellipsoid. In addition, the gravity intensity is known on the surface, which allows us to formulate a Dirichlet boundary value problem for determining the gravity intensity as a series of spherical harmonics. This expression for gravity intensity is presented here for the first time, filling a gap in the study of triaxial ellipsoids and spheroids. Given that the triaxial ellipsoid has very small eccentricities, a first order approximation can be made by retaining only the terms containing e e 2 and e x 2 . The resulting expression in spherical harmonics contains even degree and even order harmonic coefficients, along with the associated Legendre functions. The maximum degree and order that occurs is four. Finally, as a special case, we present the geometrical degeneration of an oblate spheroid.

Keywords: gravity; triaxial ellipsoid; Dirichlet problem; spherical harmonics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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